Winter Special Offer

KITE REPUBLIC DAILY NEWS CENTRE (continued)

Tuesday, June 2nd

THE OBSESSION...

Dark weeks ahead? or the chance to experience more?

For that special breed of us that are obsessed and fuelled by the adrenaline in which that addictive mixture of natures elements brings us, we have been left wanting this past month... or at least those that are yet to experience all aspects this amazing sport offers us are.

This time of year we know the winds drop a little, we also know that our summer 'seabreeze' that brings perfect wind for most of September through until April very rarely happens due to the lower temperatures. Therefore it is frontal winds that we rely on...

These frontal winds are fine if they blow through strong enough and we have the time to travel an hour either way to other parts of the bay, in fact some of our best road trips have been on these days. However, on those days that hover around 10-15 knots, or days when it's blowing a gale but it's not the right direction for where you live and you don't have 4 hours to head over to the other side of the bay for a session, what then???

Do you live near the beach? Near a park? a football oval? or pretty much anywhere that has some open space and no power lines??? If so the answer is pretty simple...

Ever tried LANDBOARDING or BUGGYING?

Almost identical to the skills you use on the water or on snow, landboarding is the perfect solution. It combines all the elements of water based kiting, shares the closest skill set to snowkiting and to be perfectly honest once you try it you'll wander why you weren't out there on all of those slightly underpowered days.

I mean ask these people what they've thought of the past months kiting conditions...

Check out the Brittish Kitesurfing Association's (BKSA) National Landboarding Championships Round 1 in Swansea below...

BKSA Round 1 Swansea Landboard from CKB Boards on Vimeo.

COMING DAYS

Light variable winds forecasted up until Sunday morning before we're expecting 20-25 knot Westerlies to grace us with there presence for a St Kilda Session on Sunday and Monday. FUN TIMES AHEAD!!!

Monday, May 25th

ROAD TRIP

A fantastic crew joined us yesterday for an early morning setoff from our home base at St Kilda West Beach as we ventured south to Rosebud.

The weather mans forecast of 20-30 knot NE's was too tempting to miss out on so 8:30am and we were off.

Here's a shot of everyone unhooked early morning style!

So with the expectation of 20+ knots all day all was looking promising as the winds were building and building the further South we went. Arriving with around 18 knots was all we needed to see as the excitement kept building.

Below's a shot of everyone racing around to get their kites ready with Hawaiian Vicky at the front!

A solid first 45 minutes of constant winds were fantastic before the weather man's predictions soured!

The winds began dropping at about a knot or two every 30 minutes before it settled at just over 10 knots. Not quite enough for the experienced to get much out of the water based kiting, but still plenty to be out there enjoying the landboarding between lessons.

Below Chris was clearly impressing a passerby who decided to snap a few moves on the landboard!

So the day of ups and down in the wind was definitely one that everyone on the Road Trip enjoyed.

Fun times all round!!!

COMING DAYS

Today is shaping up to be fantastic for Brighton, Rosebud, Rye, Point Henry with 20+ knot northerlies already coming through. Tuesday through until Thursday are looking like being solid S and W winds which will hopefully be perfect for St Kilda.

Hope to see you out there!!!

Monday, May 18th

What and end of week we have had. The wind not only showed itself for an hour or two, but gave us 4 days of fun!

Great to see so many locals braving the cold and leaving the comfort of their fireplaces in pursuit of that somewhat elusive wind we have been missing of late.

It's been so much fun seeing the faces of our students as they've had the time of their life learning a new skill that they will now be able to enjoy for the rest of their lives!!!

Below, Tim & Christian loving being out on the beach.

Great start Tim...

Allan training Dan, who's clearly going to be a talented kiter. Up and riding smoothly in his lesson. Great stuff!

Charlotte cruising around and couldn't show off her new Royal Kiteboarding 'One' board enough. Good to see you back out there Charlotte, we've missed you!

'Lightwind Lenny' Furlong getting upstairs as he flies over the St Kilda skyline with an old school no-footer!

COMING DAYS...

Sorry to have to break it to you like this... but it isn't looking good! Possible 10-15 knot E winds starting Thursday. Will be great for landboarding and possibly a sneaky little Altona session!

Friday, May 8th

A great afternoon of west to southwesterlies were enjoyed by many yesterday. Our internationally qualified instructors were making the most of the conditions and having a great time in the process...

Here are some photos from the day.

First Up we have Allan with our clearly misbehaving Frenchies Anais and Maelle...

Next Eli & Avi led by Christian make the most of their new Naish Helix's...

Ben couldn't get enough of his new Flexifoil Ion 3, all smiles while Allan steps him through the paces...

Last but not least we have Irish Kieren up and riding in his third lesson being instructed well by Canadian Christian... top work Kieren!

If you would like a copy of our newsletter 'The Republic Times...' make sure you either join the KITE REPUBLIC facebook group or email 'mail list please' to chris@kiterepublic.com.au to be sent a copy and added to our mailing list.

Look forward to sharing some great memories with you!

Thursday, April 30th

Cold Cold Cold Cold Cold Cold... just a quick rundown on what the past few days have been like. Not a great deal of wind unfortunately, plenty for landboarding however not quite what we need for water lessons unfortunately.

AUSTRALIA'S (and NZ's) NEWEST INTERNATIONALLY QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS

Congratulations to Karin Forsberg, Cam Briffa, Christian Dube, Anthony Alexopoulos, Peter Drummond (NZ), Lyatte Peach and Andrew Rowney for completing their IKO Instructor Training Course this past week with Kite Republic.

For more pictures and daily updates on what's happening around the kiting world make sure you join the KITE REPUBLIC FACEBOOK GROUP.

They've survived a week of incredibly cold weather and can now head to their choice of tropical paradises around the world and get paid to be on the beach instructing.

For information on how you too can become an internationally accredited kiteboarding instructor contact Chris on chris@kiterepublic.coml.au.

Thanks to Base Backpackers in Carlisle for hosting a fantastic end of course party. Good times... pictures below.

LITTLE ISAAC ON THE TEAM

Congratulations to Ben and Brooke Gillett for welcoming Kite Republic's newest team member into their family. As you'll see below Isaac was born with kiting on the mind!

FREE BIG BREAKFAST

KITE REPUBLIC would like to congratulate One Fitzroy St for their innitiative and support of our locals. In these tough times it's important that we all support our local community and get through this together!

ONE FITZROY ST will be giving away breakfasts to all our locals as a 'Thank you' for their continued support of our venue, and to assist them in the harsh economic times.

This Breakfast will be out of the pockets of the owners, there are no sponsors.

The No. 1 famous Big Breakfast with Coffee, will be offered from Wednesday the 22 of April for 1 month and will be available on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Mornings from 7am till 9am.

No one will be asked for proof of residence, simply come in and be served a 'Big Breakfast with a Coffee'. 

Saturday, April 25th

ANZAC Day... and happy birthday Frank!

Pumping northerlies were perfect for Brighton and Rosebud sessions today, however once again we missed out at St Kilda. Dennis made a great start in his first lesson this morning before following it up with our season kickoff of Landboarding at Elwood Park.

LANDBOARDING IS ON!!!

We had a couple of great lessons today with Stefanie and Dennis who were both making the most of the gusty offshore conditions. See the pics below...

FACEBOOK FOR ALL THE UPDATES

If you think you'll be upset if you miss out on lessons, tours, social events, downwinders or even some great bargains, then make sure you join the 'KITE REPUBLIC' facebook group. We'll be updating it daily and it'll have all the latest news.

IKO INSTRUCTOR TRAINING COURSE - DAY 1

Day 1 of the IKO Instructor Training Course ran smoothly until at 4:45pm the heavens opened up leaving these 7 instructors to be cold and wet as they retired to their books for the evening. Below Alex & Christian all smailes about 2 minutes before the downpoor!!!

COMING DAYS...

We're looking at a crazy Sunday with winds forecasted up to 50 knots and thunderstorms coming through most of the day. Not looking great for learning! Monday and Tuesday look like the best of the learning condition for the coming days.

Monday, April 20th

Although the forecast wasn’t fantastic and the days produced very light winds over the weekend we were lucky enough for around 90 minutes each evening to have a puff of 15-16 knots come through Southerly at the end of each day.

David (pictured below) was obviously our wind muse and was lucky enough to make the most of this end of day special. He progressed forwards with his lessons very well, just getting to the point of popping up on the board.

FACEBOOK FOR UPDATES AND INFORMATION

If you’re a facebook user and would like to know what’s going on in the Kiting World or when our next trips etc. are please join our ‘KITE REPUBLIC’ facebook group. Click below to head to the page.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=68663437095

A JUNIORS LOVE OF THE SPORT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv5q3KEGmD8

COMING DAYS...

Not a great deal on the forecast for us with light easterly winds forecasted for the coming couple of days. Sunday it’s supposedly looking like the southerlies will be back!

Thursday, April 16th

Victoria puts up outstanding effort in 2009 National Championships

As mentioned in the previous post Kite Republic Team Riders Ewan Jaspen & Lincoln Reeves performed incredibly well for Victoria at the National’s in Tannum Sands. Ewan (14) made the final finishing Runner Up on his Naish Torch, while Linc (15) went out to the eventual winner, Michael Bell of Perth. Both boys have come through the Kite Republic School system, love their kiting in St Kilda and have a number of years left in the Junior Division. We wish them many more great sessions in the future.

In the gusty conditions this years competition encountered Victorian Rider Charlotte Simsar was the Coconet Women’s Champion on her 2009 Royal Era, while Natalie Clarke took out 3rd position in the Women’s Open.

Leading the team in the Masters division Richard ‘KAOS’ Milne took top spot on the podium, no doubt living up to his nickname yet again!

Congratulations from the team at Kite Republic to all Victorian competitors for a very successful 2008/2009 Nationals!!!

FULL NATIONALS RESULTS

Open Men: 1 Keahi DeAboitiz, 2 Ben Winding, 3: Michael Bell

Women: 1 Marine Sudre, 2 Michelle England, 3 Natalie Clarke

Juniors: 1: Michael Bell, 2: Ewan Jaspan, 3: Keahi DeAboitiz

Masters: 1 Richard Milne, 2 Chris Wardell, 3 Hayden Fleming

Andy Yates Talent Award: Ewan Jaspan

Best Junior Up and Comer: Lindsey Hobbs

Coconet Classic Free Ride Champion: 1 Zebb Peters, 2 Lee Kavanagh, 3 Luke Bourke

Coconet Women’s Champ: Charlotte Simsar

Free Spirit Award: Josh Hickey

Best (worst) injury: Natalie Clarke

Best on rail: Alex Lewis-Hughes

COMING DAYS IN ST KILDA...

Today (Thursday) is looking like an absolute ripper as we have 20-25 knot W-NW expected most of the day. Slightly gusty but all in all great conditions for St Kilda! Early Friday should also be pretty good before the Westerlies drop down to around the 10 knot mark over the weekend.

Hope to see you down there!!!

Friday, April 10th

A good Friday indeed...

NATIONALS RESULTS

Kite Republic Schools Team Riders Ewan Jaspen and Lincoln Reeves have put up a great effort at Tannum Sands in this years Nationals.

Linc began with a tough draw up against the eventual winner and top 3 place getter in the open men's Michael Bell. Linc's clean Blind Judges, S-Bends and dangle passes weren't enough to take out Belly's technical and world class tricks.

Linc fought back well winning his way back into the draw before a hose popped off his kite mid heat leaving him swimming for shore with a deflated kite and out of contention.

On his new Naish Torch's Ewan dominated his heats with a great range of technical tricks and big megaloops he's been working hard on in St Kilda. He defeated a range of good riders on his way through to the final, not the least of which was Cabrinha rider Keahi De Aboitz in his semi final. Ewan's clean semi run included Double S-bends, Blind Judges on both tacks, S-bend to blind, Blind Judge Air Pass, and his signature megaloop, and was enough to bring him up against WA rider Michael Bell in the final.

Again Ewan rode well in the final but was beaten by Belly's clean 313, Slim and Kiteloop 3.

Congratulations to all of these riders for putting on a fantastic show!

Good Luck in the Freeride!!!

SEABREEZES COME THROUGH

A surprise to all of us was yesterday's appearance of a 15-16 knot seabreeze at around 4pm. After assuming the seabreezes would not return until spring it was great to get another puff through yesterday.

Congratulations to Saga who made a brilliant start to her kiting career yesterday.

Was also good to see our St Kilda local Irish Phil managing to light up the beach yesterday while a majority of kiters missed out due to the short notice given by the wind gods.

COMING DAYS...

There's not a great deal of wind on the forecast for the Easter Weekend. It looks like late Monday evening there might be a chance at a session in Altona while Wednesday we are expecting strong westerlies of around 30 knots.

Happy Easter, we'll hopefully see you out there at some stage!

Monday, April 6th

A weekend of wind saw kiters ignoring the somewhat cooler air temperature for the chance to harness the great power provided by mother nature. Saturday saw plenty of potential kiters getting out there for brief bursts before lightning had them all moving quickly for cover, however Sunday proved to be a great one with heaps of the locals joining those coming through their lessons for a great day on the water.

Here's a pic of the result of Neil's 50th present! They loved it! For more information on our gift vouchers please email chris@kiterepublic.com.au

Bushfire Appeal: RIDE FOR THE HILLS

Kite Republic Schools has donated just over $900 worth of product and cash donations for the victims.

Here's a pic of the near 3000 bikes that rode past St Kilda West Beach yesterday morning to raise money for the appeal. You can donate by heading to the Ride for the Hills website or through Red Cross.

FIJI TOURS

Don't miss out on our Fiji Winter Escapes this winter. As the cool weather sets in and the winds calm here in Melbourne we are offering you the chance to escape to a tropical paradise. Click here for more information.

THIS WEEK

Today's winds are looking fantastic and it looks like the Southerlies we want here in St Kilda will be around all week. It's just a matter of whether or not they'll be strong enough to make the most of.

Hope to see you out there!

Saturday, March 29th

Not the most consistent winds we've seen this past week but it's fantastic to see so many people enjoying it out there when the 'puffs' come through for us.

It's been a great week for the Kite Republic FIJI Winter Escapes with a huge amount of interest from students and locals in spending some weeks in paradise over winter.

Our FIJI WINTER KITING ESCAPES are confirmed and dates are set... We have kiting escapes in June and August. Click here for more information.

For all those people out there looking to become instructors, Kite Republic will be offering another IKO Instructor Training Course from April 25-29th. If you are interested in finding out more please email chris@kiterepublic.com.au

JUNIOR NEWS

Lincoln Reeves and Ewan Jaspen have been spending time on the Kite Stars Grom Squad and there are a number of new juniors now coming through the ranks with help from these two.

Kite Republic would like to wish them both luck in the 2009 Nationals they will be competing in this April.

Below is a picture of Lincoln Reeves working with Callum and Ben, two of Kite Republic's budding new talents!

Winds are looking light early this week before a strong Easterly winds expected from Wednesday onwards. Altona will be the pick of locations.

Saturday, March 21st

Northerly winds of 10-15 knots early in the day meant new kiters were able to enjoy some great beach lessons and get a good amount of practice on the trainers in preparation for their water lessons. Unfortuntately the Northerlies have kept us out of the water today however. The team headed down to Rosebud for an afternoon session after all the first lessons were completed at around 2pm.

The Kite Stars Grom Squad spent most of the day in Rye led by Team Rider Lincoln Reeves.

The forecast for Sunday and Monday is great with 15 knot Southerlies forecasted for both.

Now's a great time to be looking for equipment with some fantastic deals on our end of season stock. Speak to Chris or John to find out more!!!

Tuesday, March 17th

The week of poor winds was all forgotten yesterday as cooler temperatures didn't stop the addicted from hitting the water as we had a perfect 17-23 knot westerly breeze grace us with it's presence.

As usual our local crew were out there loving the breeze and even after an entire weekend of photo shoots in SW Victoria and South Australia for KITEmag Ewan Jaspen was out there ripping and pushing the envelope as he does best. A great display was also put on by 'Lightwind' Lenny Furlong with a huge range of blind riding and big loops.

The latest KITEmag safari held this weekend near the VIC/SA border was a huge success with 30-40 knot winds coming through both days. To read all about this and more register for your free subscription at www.KITEmag.com.au

Fiji Winter Tours

Kite Republic will be hosting tours to Fiji this winter seaason. For a relaxing getaway with a great group of people and kiting daily please contact Chris on chris@kiterepublic.com.au.

Landboarding

As the temperatures begin to drop and only the super keen are out there in the water why not try landboarding? An exciting way of enjoying the thrills of kiteboarding without the cold water! Contact Chris on chris@kiterepublic.com.au for more information.

It's looking like 15-20 knot westerlies turning SW later in the day (Tuesday). Provided the showers miss us it should be a great one out there on the water!

Tuesday, March 10th

After a light wind Saturday the winds decided to come in nicely Sunday afternoon and a great day was had by all.

The Kite Stars Grom Squad was very well led by team riders Lincoln Reeves and Ewan Jaspen on Saturday afternoon. On behalf of the guys we'd like to welcome Tiarna, Josh, Ben and Callum to the group. Any other juniors interested in meeting other juniors and learning anything from how to kite to how to land the latest trick please email chris@kiterepublic.com.au for more information.

For information on the area and to find a brilliant place to eat right on the foreshore please visit the St Kilda Sea Baths.

This weekend is shaping up to be a cracker wind wise as KITEmag has organized a number of Victoria's top riders for the next KITEmag Safari. Based in Warnambool for the weekend there will be plenty of options along the Great Ocean Road as well as into South Australia.

Hope to see you all on the water soon!

Wednesday, March 4th

Thankyou to everyone that helped Kite Republic's Clean Up Australia Day campaign on St Kilda West Beach last Sunday. A BBQ breakfast was enjoyed care of the Kite Republic Schools Team before around 30 dedicated locals took to the beach and surrounding areas to clean up.

Strong gusty northerly winds have kept us off the beach today as only the experienced were able to get out there in near 35 knot winds.

A note from the KITEmag Team:

Kite Mag will come out with edition two in April.
Interviews with Aaron Hadlow, Jesse Richman and Marine Sudre are some of the highlights.
Also meet our latest Kite Stars and see which state is faring best on the water in the talent stakes.
To qualify for edition 2;
1> Tell us how long you have been kiting?
If you have changes your details since last December please tell us your new address, email address and ensure all details are filled in correctly.
If you are unsure go to kitemag.com.au and fill out another subscription form.
If you have a friend that would like to get into kiting then tell them to subscribe.

The coming couple of days are looking fantastic with SW winds expected to blow all day and night at 15-25 knots both days.

Hope to see you out there!!!!

Monday, February 23rd

A great weekend of lessons was enjoyed by many on St Kilda West Beach over the past two days. Great to see so many enjoying our great sport!

You can click below to see a couple of pics from our recent events.

Julian & Louise were happy helpers doing their part for the Kiteboarding Victoria setup in the St Kilda Festival.

The St Kilda girls were out their in force during our KITER GIRLS BRUNCH aimed at bringing the female kiters together and find out what we can do to bring more girls into the sport!

Today is looking like a very strong afternoon of 20-30 knots SW before swinging more E later in the evening. Not a bad one for the experienced but not amazing for those starting out. We'll see you out there!

Thursday, February 19th

A great turnout on Sunday saw the Hookstock '09 event raise just under $3000 for the Bushfire Appeal. A fantastic result considering there was not enough wind to kite. Kite Republic as well as other industry participants donated a range of Kiteboarding related products that were auctioned off with all procedes going to the Bushfire Appeal.

WOMEN WOMEN WOMEN WOMEN WOMEN

A great turnout of nearly 20 gals enjoyed an amazing looking morning tea and chatted about all the things they love and loathe on the water!!! Apart from social networking the plan from here is to move forwards with organising some female kiting experiences as discussed by the group!

GOOD NEWS

It looks like the easterly winds we've been stuck with the past few days are passing and from tomorrow onwards our sorely missed SW winds will be back. Looking forward to seeing you all back on the water in St Kilda!!!

Sunday, February 15th

TODAY'S KITING ACTIVITIES:

1. Women's Brunch

To be run in Catani Gardens from 11am-1pm this event is free for all women. The Kite Republic Team are keen to meet all those women out there involved in kiting, whether you kite yourself, you've thought about kiting yourself, you have a partner that kites or whether you're just interested in kiting today is a great chance to meet other gals out there in the same boat and to help build the numbers of females in our great sport. Looking forward to seeing you all down there!

2. Hookstock

The 2nd ever Hookstock event will be run on Pier Rd today. It will be a fun for all event beginning with an auction with all procedes going to the bushfire appeal. Following this provided the wind god's are kind we'll be out on the water for an afternoon of fun. Festivities start at 12:30pm on Pier Rd St Kilda.

Today's forecast is as follows: Southeasterly 10 to 15 knots increasing to 15 to 20 knots around midday then increasing to 15 to 25 knots during the afternoon then tending east to southeasterly 20 to 30 knots by early evening.

A great day for kiting in Altona. Please be very careful if around St Kilda as SE winds tend to swing offshore to Easterlies quite quickly.

11/2/09

A great day on the water with winds of around 15-20 knots most of the day.

It's great to see so many new students loving this great sport and community we have created on the beach. Looking forward to sharing many more great times down there.

2 new updates:

1. GAL'S BRUNCH

This weekend Kite Republic is holding the first ever Women’s Brunch!
This gathering hopes to get all you wonderful ladies together for a chance to meet the rest of the female kiting community, and check out any ideas you may have to make kiting even more enjoyable and accessible to all women and girls!!!

Details are as follows:
Sunday 15th February
11am-1pm
Catani Gardens, St Kilda (just to the East of St Kilda Kite Beach )
Brunch will be provided J YUM!
Please RSVP at Kite Republic on 0418 583 233 or schools@kiterepublic.com.au

2. HOOKSTOCK

Hard to believe it's been 12 months since Kung Fu Pete and Natalie Clark wowed the crowds in taking out their respective categories in this ''fun for all'' event.

Let's hope this year sees more of the same as Lightwind Lenny prepares to take to the skys in preparation of his big air winner defence.

A great day for all is planned in this social event.

Todays weather is looking SE to E at a solid strength (15-20 knots). If you have the chance Altona should be the pick of all locations for the day. If heading out at St Kilda be very aware that it is meant to swing Easterly so turning offshore is definitely on the cards and might make it a little unsafe without boat support. The Kite Republic boat will be in the water for lessons however please take note of this warning as St Kilda will be very touch and go.

Altona is a great choice!

Monday, February 9th

The cold didn't scare too many people yesterday as the St Kilda Festival dragged people from all over the state (and Europe it seems) out to the foreshore.

Kite Republic were represented along with some other industry participants as we helped Kiteboarding Victoria (KBV) promote safe kiting and demonstrate kiting to those that were yet to see it at a high level.

Lincoln Reeves and Ewan Jaspen were two of the riders out there wowing the crowds that were at least 3 deep at times along the pier.

Thankyou on behalf of Kiteboarding Victoria to all of you that helped on the day. If you are a kiter and not yet a member then log onto the KBV website and join up to have yourself covered insurance wise out there!

This week is looking like an absolute ripper as we have Southerly winds of 15-20 knots pretty much every day.

Hope to see you out there...

Monday, February 2nd

Well as we're sure you all guessed last week was one of the busiest beach weeks we've seen with barely a kite in the sky as the winds were light and offshore due to the 40+ degree days.

Fortunately Saturday this all changed as a solid 20 knot Southerly came through and saw just about every kiter in Melbourne out for a perfect day on the water.

Today was a strange one with a light offshore breeze making the morning a write off before a swing early afternoon proved strong enough for a solid 30-40 kiters to get out there and enjoy.

Forecast for tomorrow is South to southeasterly 10 to 15 knots becoming southeasterly 15 to 20 knots around midday then increasing to 20 to 25 knots during the afternoon.

Should be a perfect afternoon for Altona. Anyone kiting in St Kilda tomorrow will have to be aware that in the SE winds it can start to become a little offshore later in the day. Be safe out there!

Friday, January 23rd

A few teasing puffs came through this afternoon with around 15 knot southerlies making St Kilda a reasonable choice for the short time it hung in there.

Tomorrow is forcasted as a 15-25 knot SW before swinging southerly at around 15 knots in the evening. Should be ideal conditions for St Kilda.

See you down there!!!

Saturday, December 27th

Kite Republic Boxing Day Bash Rundown!

On behalf of Kite Republic, Kiteboarding Victoria, and Standup Paddle Boarding St Kilda I would like to thank everybody who was involved in the Boxing Day Bash for making it such a great event!

Light winds meant the day was started with the COUPLES SUP RACE. An absolute crackup of an event in which I believe only one team completed the course while remaining dry throughout. Congratulations to David & Anne who were clear winners with Mark & Melissa taking second place in a sprint finish from Timo & Laura.

The second race of the day was the TEAM RELAY SUP RACE. A moderate headwind created havoc for the participants in the opening stretch of this race before favouring them back in as they rounded the buoy. The race was won by Nathan, Allan, Leo & Marc (whom donned a ponytail and skirt to complete the female competitor position), whom came clear of David, Dave, Lucy & Libby.

The PORT PHILLIP CUP SUP RACE was the next to be completed. A tough ask for any competitor was this course set with an opening 400 metres into a 10-15 knot breeze. Trav Minns from Torquay shot to an early lead before David Hunt who was close on his tail for the first half of the course capitalized on a fall as Trav overbalanced while rounding the third buoy. David Hunt ran away to be a narrow winner while David John edged out Mark Bradke for 3rd.

A great stage was set for the main event of the day, the PORT PHILLIP CUP KITEBOARDING COURSE RACE, the only thing we were lacking was wind. The event organizers decided on a course change in the patchy 12-15 knot winds. The course was shortened and competitors had 30 minutes to hone their skills riding SUP boards with their kites.
When the time came for the first heat to begin a range of interesting techniques and strategies were employed. Without a doubt the standout ride throughout all heats and the final was Brett Pearson’s first heat run. Leaving all other competitors standing still he shot off the line on his 18m Best Yarga and narrowly avoiding a devastating kite drop around the final buoy he claimed the first finals berth.
Lincoln Reeves took heat number two with a very styling bar pass across the line in heat two before heat three was taken by Adam Murray. The lucky 2nds to make the final were Julian Thompson and Ben Hale who were narrowly edged out in their respective heats.
In the dash off the line during the final Brett Pearson tangled with Lincoln Reeves and Adam Murray as Julian Thompson and Ben Hale shot off the line and from early on were the ones to beat. A stylish downloop carve around the final buoy put Julian narrowly ahead of Ben while the other three battled back into the race for 3rd.
In the end it was Julian Thompson in a sprint finish across the line from Ben Hale and Brett Pearson claimed 3rd place.

Thanks again to everyone who was a part of this inaugural ‘Port Phillip Cup’ race. We look forward to spending a great summer with you out on the water!

Kite Republic, Standup Paddle Boarding St Kilda & Kiteboarding Victoria.

Sunday, December 14th

WIND WIND WIND!!!

With the release of KITEmag on Friday, December 12th the wind gods have become very kind and we've had an outstanding week of wind.

From the perfect 15-25 knot southerlies early in the week to the out of control 30-40 knot SW's on Saturday we've had it all.

St Kilda West Beach was very much resembing an Olympic sized swimming pool earlier today as the huge SW winds that saw a number of surfers out off the Kerferd Rd Pier on Saturday washed the waves up of the sand bar.

Wind wise we are looking fantastic for tomorrow as a solid 15-20 knot SW is well and truly exciting us all out there. Mid week is looking a little lighter with 10-15 knot breezes forecasted.

Sunday, December 7th

THE WIND IS BACK!!!

A shaky 10-12 knot start to the day left us all rubbing our heads and wondering where our generally fantastic December winds have been this year, then it hit...

a perfect 15-20 knot SW wind from around 1pm right through until dark. This is what we have become accustomed to these past few years so fingers crossed it'll stay around for a few months now!

A big welcome to Berny Maginn who flew in from New Zealand today to examine our International Kiteboarding Organization (IKO) Instructor Training Course that we're running this Monday to Friday.

Check out the new St Kilda Cameral now! A great way to check out how many kiters are out on the water. Here's a pic of todays action!!!

Tomorrow is looking like a light SW early before a late morning swing to SE 15-20 knots. Altona will probably be the pick!

Saturday, December 6th

A great day for the beach today in St Kilda. Sunny and warm with good wind for lessons.

Great work to Florian, Chris, Charlie and Andy whom were all up and riding for the first time in their 3rd lessons today.

Check out our new wind forecasting feature here. It is a visual on the coming 7 days and has been incredibly accurate for the past month that we've been following it. It's now available in our weather station (top left of this page).

Tomorrow is looking like a lighter W-SW breeze before picking up between 2-5pm to a more S-SW of 15-20 knots.

Looking forward to seeing you out there!

Monday, December 1st

After a teasing build up of just over 15 knots SW this morning plenty of kiters made their way to the water just as it dropped down below 10 knots in the early afternoon. A perfect day for introductory lessons however not quite enough to enjoy the water after this drop.

Once again we would like to congratulate Kite Republic Team Rider Lincoln Reeves whom at 15 years old is the Men's Open Victorian Champion for 2008/2009. Congratulations to Ewan Jaspen also for becoming the Victorian Junior Champion.

Both of these Victorian Champions have come through the Kite Republic School system and are still involved with the team down at the beach on a daily basis.

It's this camaraderie and friendship within the Kite Republic school system along with our constant drive for improvement and teamwork that allow us to constantly lead the way in everything kite related!

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is looking like a solid 15-25 knot SW before dropping in the evening to 10-15 knots. Great conditions for St Kilda!

Saturday, November 29th

Congratulations to Kite Republic Team Rider Lincoln Reeves whom at 15 years old is the Men's Open Victorian Champion for 2008/2009. Congratulations to Ewan Jaspen also for becoming the Victorian Junior Champion.

Both of these Victorian Champions have come through the Kite Republic School system and are still involved with the team down at the beach on a daily basis.

It's this camaraderie and friendship within the Kite Republic school system along with our constant drive for improvement and teamwork that allow us to constantly lead the way in everything kite related!

Today's SW hovered constantly around the 14-16 knot range coming in a bit stronger for brief periods, making perfect conditions for learning.

We're expecting a Westerly 10 to 15 knots tending northwesterly 15 to 20 knots around midday then shifting west to southwest and increasing to 20 to 25 knots later in the evening. Should be a great day for St Kilda.

Looking forward to seeing you out there!

Sunday, November 23rd

VICTORIAN TITLES RESULTS!!!

Congratulations to Kiteboarding Victoria for a very successful event. The wind was constantly 20-25 knots, the beach was alive with kites and competitors everywhere and the event went off without a hitch.

The WOMEN'S FINAL was the first to be completed between Charlotte Simsar and Natalie Clarke. Both competitors took advantage of the strong winds with some huge boosts, however it was Charlotte who came through slightly smoother with her big unhooked raleys.

The JUNIOR'S FINAL was the next to be completed between Ewan Jaspen and Lincoln Reeves. Both competitors showed a range of unhooked tricks and big kiteloops making it very difficult to split the two however it was Ewan that was able to continue this level throughout the heat when Lincoln's kite ended up in the waves for a period.

The MASTER'S FINAL was between James McCann and Richard 'KAOS' Milne. Both very experienced riders with a large bag of tricks up their sleeve. True to expectations it was a very high standard final with both competitors landing some big tricks. In the end Richard 'KAOS' Milne lived up to his name with a couple of huge kiteloops and some super high aerial passes to take out the final.

The MEN'S OPEN FINAL was another high standard final in tough conditions between a couple of new names in the open scene. Local St Kilda junior rider Lincoln Reeves and the Flying Frenchman Sebastien Maupas both took out some big names in the Victorian scene en Route to the final. In the end it was Lincoln who cleanly landed a number of tricks topped off with a huge blind judge in the gusty conditions that just crept clear of Sebastien's range of technical spins and surface passes.

The final event of the day was the BIG AIR event which in mid 20 knot winds was something to watch! In the end it was Daniel Dietrich, Kiteloop Man 5000 himself that shined above the rest.

A huge thankyou must go out to the judges for todays event. Julian Kidd, Scott Flemming, and James McCann who worked tirelessly throughout the day.

Also a big thankyou to Nic & Phil from Standup Paddle Boarding St Kilda for the use of their mobile showroom which was used as the command centre and judging quarters for the entire event.

RESULTS RUNDOWN

Open Mens: Winner - Lincoln Reeves, R/UP - Sebastien Maupas

Open Womens: Winner - Charlotte Simsar, R/UP - Natalie Clarke

Masters: Winner - Richard "KAOS" Milne, R/UP - James McCann

Juniors: Winner - Ewan Jaspen, R/UP - Lincoln Reeves

BIG AIR: Daniel "Kiteloop Man 5000" Dietrich

Sunday, November 23rd

VICTORIAN TITLES UPDATE: 9:30am update. Click here for further daily updates.

Provided we don't get too many storm fronts through and the weather is deemed safe it is sure to be a day of excitement with the strong winds forecasted.

At this stage all lessons have been postponed until 2pm. You will be updated by the team via. SMS or phone call if further cancellations are necessary.

Get down to Pier Rd this afternoon for some serious kiting action if you get a chance!

Saturday, November 22nd

VICTORIAN TITLES UPDATE: Today the KBV committee have postponed Day 1 of the Victorian Titles in St Kilda due to the unpredictable and dangerous weather. The next update will be made tomorrow morning at 10am with a 1pm competitor debrief scheduled until further notice.

No lessons will be held today for the same reasons.

Congratulations to Flexifoil team rider and 5 x world champion Aaron Hadlow who took out the latest PKRA Freestyle and Best Trick events in New Caledonia. For some awesome pics and an update of Aaron's movements click here.

Hopefully see you all out on the water tomorrow. Keep up to date with the weather with Kite Republic's Weather Station top right of this page!

Thursday, November 20th

VICTORIAN TITLES THIS WEEKEND AT ST KILDA

Don't miss the action down at St Kilda West Beach. With wind forecasted at 30-35 knots it's sure to provide some insane action. Visit Kiteboarding Victoria (KBV) for more information.

Today started off very strong as some rain fronts came through early making the wind a little unpredictable. As the fronts passed we were left with a very nice 15-20 knot SW wind from late afternoon onwards.

Tomorrow is looking like a 10-20 knot W/NW wind. Let's hope the rain fronts pass by early and we can all enjoy another great day out there on the water.

Wednesday, November 19th

Hovering right around the 15 knot mark with W-SW direction we enjoyed great conditions for learning.

A huge congratulations must be given to Brandon whom after his second lesson is already riding comfortably in both directions, unbelievable work!

The coming few days are looking great for direction however we are going to have to keep an eye on the strength with some 30 knot winds forecasted at times.

These winds will no doubt make for exciting viewing for the upcoming Victorian Titles being run by Kiteboarding Victoria (KBV) this weekend.

Becoming a KBV member makes sure you are insured out there on the water as well as providing you with a number of other benefits. Contact us to find out how you join.

Tuesday, November 18th

Could we ask for a better weekend in St Kilda??? Strong Southerly winds of 15-30 knots right through Saturday and Sunday, a great group of people on the beach, and some serious kiting...

After the KITEmag safari last weekend some of Victoria's best were out again in preparation for the Victorian Championships this coming weekend. If you have not signed up for your Kiteboarding Victoria Membership now is the time with a fantastic weekend of competition and fun activities planned for all!

And if anyone has seen a blonde dutchman flying across the St Kilda skyline pushing the limits of what kiteboarding is all about you will no doubt have been impressed. Just about every year Ruben Lenten, one of the worlds best kiters heads this way for a couple of weeks kiting in Australia. If you'd like to see some of Ruben in action and what he has put together and called his perfect heat click here!

This afternoon is looking like a Southerly of 15-20 turning SE 10-15 later in the evening.

Tomorrow is expected to build to a 10-20 knot S/SE through the afternoon before turning more easterly later in the evening. Altona should be the pick!!!

Friday, November 14th

Teasing us during the early afternoon the 10-15 knot SW we started the day with picked up the pace and gave all of St Kilda's kiters an afternoon to remember.

A very nice 15-20 knot SW was just what the doctor ordered and hopefully will see the pattern of southerlies return more consistently from now.

Don't forget the Victorian Championships next weekend. For more information visit Kiteboarding Victoria.

Tomorrow (Saturday) is looking like a perfect 15-20 knot southerly from late morning onwards. Possibly jumping to 20-30 knots early evening. St Kilda will be the pick!

Thursday, November 13th

What a whale of a day!!! Yesterday off the NSW coast, school teacher David Sheridan found himself kiting directly above a huge whale. To see a photo of this amazing occurance click here.

After lighter winds yesterday (Wednesday) we had a very strong and gusty northerly. The Kite Republic crew made their way down to Carrum where the strong cross shore winds were just right for our 7-9m kites. It was a day of great height! Pictures to come.

Don't forget about the Victorian Titles being held at St Kilda Beach (wind permitting) next weekend (Nov 22-23). Check out Kiteboarding Victoria (KBV) for more information.

Tomorrow we are back! St Kilda should be alive and kicking with 15-20 knot W-SW winds coming through from mid morning onwards.

Can't wait to see you all out there!

Tuesday, November 11th

Yesterday's (Monday) brilliant afternoon SW's unfortunately didn't duplicate today as we were left with less than perfect conditions for the water.

On a positive note Martin, Naareh & Lara all made very strong starts to their kiting careers, while unfortunately Mariana & Nick made a brief start just before the wind died out completely. Can't wait to get you two back out there!!!

Congratulations to KITEmag for their incredibly well planned and successful KITEmag Safari along the Great Ocean Road over this past weekend. Make sure you click here to sign up for your free magazine subscription.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is looking like light northerlies. Perfect for first lessons, however we're not looking good for being out in the water!

Sunday, November 9th

The 15-20 knot W-NW dropped off very early in the day and the St Kilda Beach turned from kiter paradise into a day for the boaters to enjoy.

Just as the beach was clearing at around 6:30pm the wind hit. A solid 15-20 knot breeze came through just in time for the dedicated to get out there and finish the weekend on a high.

Tomorrow (Monday) is looking like 10-15 knot SE winds in the early afternoon. Let's hope it comes in a few knots stronger which will make Altona the pick.

Saturday, November 8th

A strong but somewhat gusty Westerly wind today meant small kites were out on the water for Day 2 of the KITEmag Safari.

Some outstanding riding and great shots were covered in the flat water of Point Henry before a short wave session at 13th Beach until the wind dropped out for the day.

A great day of lessons was had at St Kilda before the weather turned and the rain came in.

Tomorrow (Sunday) looking like 15-20 knot NW winds dropping down early afternoon. Rosebud should be very solid.

Friday, November 7th

Gusty NW winds unfortunately kept our lessons out of the water today. Due to the rain most of the Melbourne crew stayed clear today.

Day 1 of the KITEmag safari saw Chris & Ewan having a blast in 20-30 knot N winds in Point Henry before lightning began lighting up the skies on the horizon and the kites came down!

Make sure you sign up for your free issue of KITEmag before the first 10,000 are locked in.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we're expecting a strong W-NW winds should mean anywhere on the east side of the bay will be great.

The KITEmag crew will be starting at Point Henry then moving to the Southern side in the waves, probably 13th Beach.

Thursday, November 6th

Don't forget to have a look at the new 'ABOUT US' page for an insight into the team that are leading the way in all aspects of Kiteboarding in Melbourne.

Light winds today meant very few lessons went ahead. It wasn't until 5pm that a solid 15 knot S-SW wind came through and made our day!

Timo flew his new 11m Flexifoil Hadlow Pro for the first time and was absolutely stoked with the quality and performance in the air. Timo, myself and our French friend Sebastien had the water to ourselves for nearly an hour of great wind as the sun was setting. Could it get better?

I'll be heading Great Ocean Road way tomorrow with Kite Republic Team Rider Lincoln Reeves for the KITEmag safari. Will be a great chance to get some quality shots in the surf and with Saturday's forecast of 30 knot W we should be looking good!

Tomorrow (Friday) looking like strong northerly winds which should make Rosebud the pick.

Wednesday, November 5th

Don't forget to check out our updated 'ABOUT US' page, all the information you're after from Melbourne's leaders in the kiteboarding industry.

Variable winds today gave us no chance for any water lessons. A great start was made by those completing their initial land based lesson however. Cameron and his four legged friend Guy, our Dutch kitemaster Stefan, and Patricio had the best of the wind while unfortunately Dean (clearly our wind jinx) made a start before having to reschedule the rest of his lesson!

KITEmag is nearly here!!! Free subscriptions are quickly running out, click here to sign up for yours!

Tomorrow (Thursday), Saturday & Sunday are looking great to get out there in St Kilda, let's cross our fingers and hope the forecasts hold.

Tuesday, November 4th

While the horses sped around the Flemington track in this years Melbourne Cup the Kite Republic Team were out on the beach making peoples day!

A solid wind the past two days have seen the cobwebs brushed off another large group of kites as the weather is also becoming more enjoyable.

A lot of people have been asking us about water etiquette and right of way on the water lately so we've received some 'Right of Way' posters from the IKO which we hope everyone can have a quick look at next time they're on St Kilda beach. They are posted on the Kite Republic notice board.

Make sure you check out our update 'ABOUT US' page on the website for more information on Melbourne's leading kiteboarding team!

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is looking like being a weak N-NW wind through the day before a late change to W-SW at 15-20 knots. Might be decent at St Kilda later in the day!

Sunday, November 2nd

Fantastic starts were made by our new group of kiters that've finally got over there 'I would have a go, BUT' stage. All of which had a blast according to their feedback forms!

Half the team enjoyed the Kiteboarding Victoria (KBV) Season Opening BBQ & Activities Day on Brighton Beach while the others taught!

After setting up the demo equipment at Brighton earlier in the day the Kite Republic Support Boat chaperoned Team Rider Lincoln Reeves & a friend on a downwinder from Kite Republic's home base of St Kilda West Beach to Brighton Beach for the KBV event. Lincoln was putting on a great show for those out on the pier who began lining the railings as he showed some style on the way past.

There was a great representation of brands and other industry participants as Kite Republic showed off the latest in Gin, Flexifoil, Brunotti, Nobile, Eh, Slingshot, Best, Skywalker and Mystic Equipment.

Light winds ended up turning the event from a kiteboarding course race into a fun filled afternoon of Standup Paddle Boarding, both with paddles and behind the Kite Republic support boat, as well as the find of the afternoon which was a 30m Kite. That's correct, not 3m, not 13m, but 30m, care of Matt Woods the Australian Flexifoil importer. Click here to see the team taking on the 30m beast!

A big thankyou to all of the KBV comittee who put on a great afternoon of fun in the sun (until the rain came!!!).

For more information on how to become a KBV member and join in for the upcoming events as well as cover yourself insurance wise while you're on the water please click here.

Tomorrow (Monday) Looking like a brilliant day of 15-20 knots W-SW with a peak of ~30 knots during the early afternoon. See you out there!!!

Saturday, November 1st

While most of Melbourne were dressing up and on their way to Derby Day, the Kite Republic Team started bright and early with our team meeting and a photoshoot with all the instructors and team riders. Photo's & 'About Us' page will be posted shortly!

A few long faces early in the day due to lack of wind were quickly replaced when the 15-20 knot S winds hit! A fantastic afternoon was had by all on the water and some seriously talented students enjoyed the perfect conditions.

Congratulations to Jay, Francesco's group, Mitchell, Tamara & Simon, and the monster group organized by Alex. Fantastic starts were made by all and we're looking forward to seeing the further progressions in the coming lessons. There's nothing better than seeing peoples reactions after their first lessons. That's why we love our jobs here at Kite Republic!

Don't miss out on tomorrow's (Sunday) Kiteboarding Victoria season opener at Brighton beach. Even though the winds aren't in our favour there will be plenty of activities to make it a fantastic afternoon. 2pm Start!!!

Friday, October 31st

From 9am onwards the winds were consistently between 15-25 knots W-SW. A great day on the water was enjoyed throughout!

Some of the Kite Republic Team enjoyed a great evening at the Citipower City of Port Phillip Business Awards last night after being named as one of the top 17 businesses out of the 350 whom were nominated in the City of Port Phillip.

Don't forget to join Kiteboarding Victoria on Sunday for the official season opener at Brighton Beach. If you havn't signed up for your KBV kiteboarding membership and insurance for the coming year please contact us to get this sorted.

Tomorrow (Saturday) is looking like 10-15 knot S-SW early before a SE-E change during the afternoon. We're looking great for St Kilda earlier in the day before the later change would make Altona the pick if it comes through while we still have some light.

Thursday, October 30th

Kite Republic is looking forward to a fantastic evening as a finalist in the City of Port Phillip Business Awards. Out of the initial 350 businesses nominated, and a long interview process later it's very nice to be recognized as leading the way. Wish us luck!!!

Unfortunately the wind wasn't amazing today with very strong and gusty N/NE winds leaving St Kilda out of the question!

It's nearly time to bring the rest of the crew back from Fiji as the winds are becoming more and more consistent and the seabreezes are solid.

Tomorrow (Friday) is looking like a solid S/SW wind of 10-20 knots early before swinging westerly and spiking to around 30 knots early afternoon, then calming to a SW 15-20 knots later. Great conditions for St Kilda!

Tuesday, October 28th

Another solid wind afternoon. It was threatening to stay a bit light until nearly 3:30 when the winds hit. A 15-20 knot W/SW saw around 50 kiters out there for a great afternoon on the water!

Was great to see Kite Republic Team Rider Lincoln Reeves nailing some very solid blind judges and putting on a show for the foreshore viewers!

Don't miss out on Kiteboarding Victoria's season opener social day this Sunday, November 2nd at Brighton Beach, starting at 2pm. There will be heaps of activities and a kiting course race throughout the day. Everything free for members! To find out how to become a member and be insured on the water email us.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is looking like S/SE winds 10-15 knots early before increasing 15-20 knots during afternoon and further increasing 20-25 knots whilst swinging E/SE later afternoon. Altona looks like the pick!

Monday, October 27th

The Westerly winds are back!!!

A great afternoon of fun was had on the water as well as our new Portuguese superstar Sandra whom made her debut and we have no doubts will be riding shortly. Great job!

This weekend is the official Kiteboarding Victoria (KBV) season opening at Brighton beach. Make sure you're signed up and insured to be out there on the water as well as all the other perks involved in membership. To find out how to become insured and what other benefits you get from being a KBV member contact us.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) looking like a solid Southerly wind around 20 knots during the afternoon. St Kilda will be the pick!!!

Sunday, October 26th

After some early morning spikes to 25 knots todays N winds were at times non-existent.

Taking advantage of the lighter winds the team and those keen students that had completed their 'Kite Pilot' lessons got out there and had a ball on the Stand Up Paddle boards. To find out more about this fantastic new sport please email schools@kiterepublic.com.au.

It's getting closer... KITEmag the latest kitesurfing magazine is coming out soon. Click here to sign up for your free copy!

Tomorrow (Monday) & Tuesday we are expecting 15-20 knot South Westerlies. Perfect wind for your next lesson or latest session in St Kilda! See you out there.

Saturday, October 24th

Light N-NE winds unfortunately kept us out of the water today. Our newbies however made a fantastic start in their lesson 1's.

A jetski was used for our last IKO course training so the team all updated and refreshed their boat lessons and water rescue techniques this afternoon in Kite Republic's new support boat. Warm winds and fresh water made it ideal conditions for the training session!

Tomorrow we're expecting 15-25 knot northerlies early before a W-NW swing in the afternoon which should make lessons possible later in the day at St Kilda.

Monday and Tuesday are looking ideal during the afternoons. Hope to see you out there!!! - Chris

Friday, October 24th

Great fun this afternoon was had behind the support boat. Unfortunately the seabreezes did not show themselves however!

If you havn't seen the new street view on google maps click here to see the Kite Republic St Kilda location from mid last year.

Once again Kite Republic would like to congratulate Flexifoil Team Rider Aaron Hadlow for winning his fifth straight Kiteboarding World Championship, not bad for a 19 year old!!! Click here for more details.

Looking like N-NW winds building through the day tomorrow before seabreezes to 10 knots. Rosebud and Rye will most likely be the picks of the day!!!

Thursday, October 23rd

Welcome to the team Marc, great to have your enthusiasm and knowledge on board!

Not quite the 15 knot seabreeze we were hoping for today however we had a consistent 10-13 knots all afternoon. Perfect for lessons 1 & 2, but not quite enough for the 'board rider' lessons!

Great start today made by Jean-Luc, can't believe you lived in Mauritius for so long and it took a move to Australia to get you out there on the kite. Looking forward to seeing you up and riding soon!

Another northerly wind morning today before seabreezes of 10-15 knots this afternoon. Perfect for lesson 1 and 2's later, will be touch and go for board riding lessons! - Chris

Wednesday, October 22nd

The Port Phillip Council has recognized Kite Republic Schools as leading the way not only in the Kiteboarding industry but in all businesses in the City of Port Phillip by naming Kite Republic as a finalist in the Port Phillip Business Awards. Please click here to see the other 17 top businesses out of over 350 nominations in the city of Port Phillip!

Another amazing day of southerly winds 15-25 knots saw a huge amount of progression taking place during lessons. Every single lesson 3 was up and riding solid distances. Top stuff to Julian, Phil, Remi, Henry & Tony. Great starts were made by Martin (still suffering from a huge night at Cushion), Joe & our Mexican star pupils Felipe & Mariana!

Tomorrow looking like weak northerlies during the morning before solid seabreezes around 15 knots early afternoon onwards. St Kilda should be solid during afternoon!

Tuesday, October 21st

As well as being the first Kiteboarding School in St Kilda and always leading the way in instructor training programs and safety, Kite Republic (formerly St Kilda Kiteboarding) has been recognized by the International Kiteboarding Organization and is the first and only school in Victoria to be IKO Affiliated. Please click here to see Australia's top schools!

Todays 25-30 knot SW wind saw the 12m kites left in the car and kiters tearing around on 6m to 9m's. A lot of fun was had with the smaller kites allowing the gutsy to play with huge megaloops and incredibly high powered aerials.

The next couple of days are looking fantastic with a SW - SE wind calming to 15-20 knots through the morning tomorrow.

**PLEASE NOTE** - if the wind turns more easterly through tomorrow (Wednesday) be very careful of gusts and being stuck out in the Williamstown direction. If turns more Easterly then Altona is the pick of location! - Chris

Monday, October 20th

How lucky are we here in St Kilda!

Today we had another perfect 20 knot SW wind in which the latest crew to get past the whole "I'd love to do that but..." got out there and had an absolute ball. It's absolutely fantastic to see the number of ladies that are getting into the sport, now that people are seeing it they are realizing it has nothing to do with strength!

When you get a chance check sign up for the free first copy of the latest kiteboarding magazine at www.kitemag.com.au it's aimed at safety, equipment and progressions for the entire kiting population, will be a great one to get on board with if you are keen to improve your riding!

See you out there! - Chris

Sunday, October 19th

WOW!!! The pick of the season so far. A solid southerly start combined with an early afternoon seabreeze saw around 75 kites in the sky today, all enjoying the perfect conditions St Kilda has to offer!

A fantastic start was made by Ryan, Andy, Adam and who could forget Garreth's efforts, never touched a kite before and he was comfortably up and riding. Special mentions also to Damien and Husein who were both cruising around for the first time.

Brilliant work by the entire GKN corporate group who cruised through body dragging and self rescue today, remember guys... RELAX YOUR ARMS!!!!

Tomorrow (Monday) through to Wednesday looking spot on for wind. Hope to see you out there!!! - Chris

Saturday, October 18th

A solid Northerly unfortunately kept us out of the water today. On the other hand awesome starts were made by Jason & Tash, Carlos and Hans.

A great day was had on the beach with Kite Republic's new support boat getting a great workout and a lot of fun had in less that perfect conditions!

A big welcome back to 'Pommy Nick' who's still somewhat in shock at our 25 degree 'cold' days after spending a couple of months instructing at our winter base in Fiji.

Tomorrow 10-15 knot SW, 20 knots at times before a 15-20 knot seabreeze to add to that later. Could it be better for a St Kilda session? See you there!!! - Chris

Thursday, October 16th

A couple of great seabreezes this week have seemingly set the season alive. It's fantastic to see so many of those holding back for the warmth getting out there and starting there seasons on a high!

If you havn't made it out there yet you are well and truly missing out, some of us have been out there consistently since early August and can definitely tell you the water has warmed considerably :)

A great start made this week by Oliver, Julian, Tim, Henry, Lisa and Stefie. And who can go past Josh's efforts in his second lesson, riding both directions, amazing work mate!!!

See you out there soon!!!

Monday, October 13th

What a day!!! Was fantastic to see 10 or 20 kiters brush the cobwebs off out there and make their return to St Kilda West Beach for the season, joining those that have been getting out the past few weeks.

We had a solid S-SW wind come through at 15-25 knots kicking in mid afternoon!

Thanks to Lenny and Hari who joined me for the filming of HIT TV which will be airing early November.

Look forward to seeing you all down there tomorrow (Tuesday) as the forecast is looking great for another St Kilda session! - Chris

Sunday, October 12th

Offshore winds led to the cancellation of all water lessons today. A good number of new kiters still made very solid starts in their land based lessons.

Welcome to the GKN group who all made a great start in tough conditions. Cannot wait to get you all into the water next week!!!

Tomorrow looking like a light start before picking up 15-20 knots S-SW mid afternoon. St Kilda should be perfect!

Saturday, October 11th

Welcome to the beach Declan, Lara, Gary and Leon, great work on such a light wind day.

And the biggest welcome of all must go to Mel she is the heart and soul of Kite Republic!

It was for us propably the first day in the season with the hole setup. We are all very excited and looking forward to summer and the coming season. It was a great day and we all enjoyed the sun and a beautiful day on the beach.

We are looking at a 20 to 30 knot northerly wind tomorrow. Ewan and Lincoln have already made Rosebud their pick of the day, have fun u two. And for eveyone else who's going to join them, have a great one!!! - Timo

Thursday, October 9th

A couple of peaks coming through at nearly 20 knots today, however mainly lighter winds 10-15 west to southwesterly, perfect for early lessons!

Carston made a great start after his 8 years without kiting, and Ralph has nailed the bar pressure theory. Great stuff out there guys!

Kite Republic would like to congratulate Flexifoil rider and world champion Aaron Hadlow for winning his 5th straight world championship. Great stuff Aaron!!!

Visit www.aaronhadlow.com for more information.

Not looking great out there for Friday, 5-10 knot N/NE early before seabreezes of around 10 knots.

Wednesday, October 8th

Was great to see Heidi nailing some stylish toeside carves in the W - SW 15-20 knots we had from 2pm onwards.

A big welcome to the new Kite Republic support boat, everyones looking forward to the downwinder intermediate - advanced lessons that'll be starting in the coming fortnight. Please email chris@kiterepublic.com.au to reserve your spot in the coming weeks!

A big welcome back to Mitch who decided 11 months between lessons was just about right for him and he's now back and loving it!

Tomorrow (Thursday) is looking like around 10 knots Westerly before an afternoon seabreeze of 10 knots will hopefully join and give us 15-20 knots W-SW.

Cya down there! - Chris

Tuesday, October 7th

A solid 15 to 20 knot Westerly saw a solid crowd of around 30 kiters out at St Kilda this afternoon.

Congratulations to Paul and Lynden who were both finding their feet on the board and up and cruising. What can we say about Federico, a solid 200-300m cruise in his 3rd lesson today, great stuff!!!

'Lightwind Lenny' was landing some huge unhooked kiteloop raleys on his new Best Nemesis HP, while Linc was loving his new Slingshot Fuel's and Julian was going big on his new Rev's.

Welcome back Leo who's spent the past month secretly training in New Zealand. Looking great out there mate!

Tomorrow is looking like 10-15 knot W-SW early on before a solid 15 knot seabreeze in the afternoon. St Kilda will be the pick of tomorrow. See you on the water!!! - Chris

Friday, October 3rd

After a light wind Thursday in which the maximum wind spiked to 15 knots we've had a wet but windy Friday. Big swings, from 32 knots to 9 knots within half an hour from 1:00-1:30pm being the worst.

Thursday's conversation of the day:

As we sat there waiting for wind yesterday watching all 40 kilograms of Linc having a blast and holding his line without an issue in 13 knots while everybody else waited for wind, there was talk of giving up beer and getting into the gym to increase wind range in the lighter wind.

Now that's dedication!!!

Wednesday, October 1st

A consistent 20 knot Northerly made Rosebud the pick of the bay today.

‘SpecialFX Steve’ must be congratulated for leaving the ‘walk of shame’ behind him as he is now consistently carving upwind on his Flexifoil Ion2! ‘Team Dentist (Machesterian) Chris’ made some huge steps forwards with consistent riding in both directions as he worked his new Gin Nazca across the Rosebud skyline.

As always Linc & Ewan put on a show as they joined Lenny, Hari, T-bag, Nath & Irish Phil in lighting up the skies!

For the ladies Nat & Gabby were looking very stylish out there with their HUGE airs and butterfly like soft landings.
Great to see everyone out there enjoying this fantastic kiting weather!!!

Tuesday, September 30th

Light winds today meant being out there in the water was not an option.

Looking like 20-30 knot Northerly Winds tomorrow (Wednesday) making Rosebud and Rye the pick of locations.

Kiteboarding Victoria have named November 22nd & 23rd (the weekend before MAMBO) as the weekend of the Victorian Titles. A great chance for kiters of all levels from beginner to expert to share a fun weekend of kiting and sharing stories! Make sure you keep it free.

Sunday, September 28th

Congratulations to all of our IKO Instructor Training Course participants, all passing with flying colours! Thanks again to Jon Dodds and Ed Teo for their time and efforts during the week, a great time was had by all participants!

Thankyou to our teaching exam students, Sophie, Rebecca, Lisa, Simon, Travis, Eric & Frank. All received great feedback from instructors and examiners, looks like we have a talented new group on the beach!

Was great to see all the locals out their brushing the winter cobwebs off their equipment in the 15-25 knot W to SW winds we got late in the day. Looking forward to catching up again more as the seabreezes start to kick in for the season!!!

Last but not least great job Amir, a solid start to your kiting today, and John what can I say, I guess finishing a few Sydney to Hobard yacht races isn't bad, but being up on the board mid second lesson, that's outstanding.

Expecting S to SW winds 20-25 knots Monday before easing 15-20 knots in the afternoon.

See you out there!!! - Chris

Saturday, September 27th

A very light NW through the morning with a 10-15 knot seabreeze deciding to join us for an hour or two.

IKO Day 4 saw the first round of teaching exams completed successfully before poor wind caused the cancellation of the second round.

The seabreeze joined us just long enough for Stephane & Robin to make a great start to their kiting careers while all 30kg of Ewan were tearing accross the water and lighting up the St Kilda foreshore area with his double S-bends, looking great out there mate! - Chris

Friday, September 26th

A solid but somewhat gusty N to NW wind in St Kilda today. Plenty of wind for Day 3 of the IKO instructor training course. A near 180 degree swing as predicted meant the day finished with a 20 knot SW.

Welcome to the beach Damien, an absolute natural in his first lesson, I'm sure we'll see plenty of you this season!

Expecting a weak Northerly wind tomorrow through the day before a 20-25 knot SW change late afternoon. Perfect chance to sneak a quick kite in after the Grand Final (provided you're in a fit state of course...)

Thursday, September 25th

A great first day of Kite Republic's IKO Instructor Training Course was had by all yesterday. A big thanks to Ian Mills for the use of his jetski for water training!Welcome to the beach Shosh & Rae who had their first lessons yesterday and did very well in lighter conditions.

Expecting a solid N to NW wind today, great conditions for Rosebud! Enjoy... - Chris

We're expecting a solid 20-30 knot West to Southwest wind tomorrow (Tuesday) before decreasing slightly to a 15-20 knot westerly. Great winds for St Kilda!

Looking forward to seeing you out there! - Chris 22/9/08